Caught in the Moment
by Uncle Charlie
Summary: She spun and screamed and died - again and again and again. It's up to Sapphire to set her free. Written for the Element Flash February Challenge - Sleepy Hollow


Sleepy Hollow

She walked along the road and tried to repress a sense of dread. It was all in her head, she repeated to herself again and again. Such things didn't exist. Such things didn't happen now. There was no such things as ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night.

And it wasn't even night. It was just barely twilight, yet already a thick mist hugged to lower spots to the left and right of the road. Mamma had served a lovely evening meal. There had even been meat, a rare treat for a week day. She smiled at the thought of the pieces of chicken covered in a rich gravy. There were mounds of mashed potatoes and sweet peas just fresh from the garden. Soon the harsh reality of winter would be with them and she was determined to hold onto and remember those flavors into the deep cold nights.

The covered bridge was just ahead and on the other side, sanctuary, real sanctuary in the form of a church. Even now she could see the white steeple, rising like clasped hands towards Heaven. The thought filled her with warmth. She was so close now that she could hear the gurgle of the river as it raced over the stones, still running high from this past weekend's storm.

She doubled her step, anxious to get out of the cold and mist of the eve and to the beckoning of the church and her family. Her mind started to pick through the bits of a hymn she'd heard earlier in the day. She wanted to ask Reverend McKay if he knew it. She hummed it to, trying out bits of words as she did. It seemed so… familiar. Thus cheered she hurried on, not hearing the hoof beats until they were quite close.

She spun and screamed and died.

She walked along the road and tried to repress a sense of dread. It was all in her head, she repeated to herself again and again. Such things didn't exist. Such things didn't happen now. There was no such things as ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night.

And it wasn't even night. It was just barely twilight, yet already a thick mist hugged to lower spots to the left and right of the road. Mamma had served a lovely evening meal. There had even been meat, a rare treat for a week day. She smiled at the thought of the pieces of chicken covered in a rich gravy. There were mounds of mashed potatoes and sweet peas just fresh from the garden. Soon the harsh reality of winter would be with them and she was determined to hold onto and remember those flavors into the deep cold nights.

The covered bridge was just ahead and on the other side, sanctuary, real sanctuary in the form of a church. Even now she could see the white steeple, rising like clasped hands towards Heaven. The thought filled her with warmth. She was so close now that she could hear the gurgle of the river as it raced over the stones, still running high from this past weekend's storm.

She doubled her step, anxious to get out of the cold and mist of the eve and to the beckoning of the church and her family. Her mind started to pick through the bits of a hymn she'd heard earlier in the day. She wanted to ask Reverend McKay if he knew it. She hummed it to, trying out bits of words as she did. It seemed so… familiar. Thus cheered she hurried on, not hearing the hoof beats until they were quite close.

She spun and screamed and died.

She walked along the road and tried to repress a sense of dread. It was all in her head, she repeated to herself again and again. Such things didn't exist. Such things didn't happen now. There was no such things as ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night.

And it wasn't even night. It was just barely twilight, yet already a thick mist hugged to lower spots to the left and right of the road. Mamma had served a lovely evening meal. There had even been meat, a rare treat for a week day. She smiled at the thought of the pieces of chicken covered in a rich gravy. There were mounds of mashed potatoes and sweet peas just fresh from the garden. Soon the harsh reality of winter would be with them and she was determined to hold onto and remember those flavors into the deep cold nights.

The covered bridge was just ahead and on the other side, sanctuary, real sanctuary in the form of a church. Even now she could see the white steeple, rising like clasped hands towards Heaven. The thought filled her with warmth. She was so close now that she could hear the gurgle of the river as it raced over the stones, still running high from this past weekend's storm.

She doubled her step, anxious to get out of the cold and mist of the eve and to the beckoning of the church and her family. Her mind started to pick through the bits of a hymn she'd heard earlier in the day. She wanted to ask Reverend McKay if he knew it. She hummed it to, trying out bits of words as she did. It seemed so… familiar. Thus cheered she hurried on, not hearing the hoof beats until they were quite close.

She spun and screamed and died.

_All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension; Transuranics heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: Gold, Lead, Copper, Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver, and Steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned._

Sapphire smiled as the weeds brushed past her boots with a soft _swish_. Her dress fell to her mid-calf and she was amused by watching her feet move through the tall weeds. Her dress danced with the movement and she wondered how humans ever managed to get bored when they just had to watch their movements to be fascinated and entertained.

The road, well, a path really, was overgrown with the wild grasses and weeds and nearly invisible. The day was pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze sending strands of her hair playing on it. There was the smell of fall in the air, mingled with an earthy smell. She picked a flower, the name, _Castilleja miniata,_ popped into her head. She knew it by another name, an Indian Paintbrush. She stroked it across her cheek and smiled at the sensation.

The sun was warm on her back, yet she shuddered at the sudden sense of a chill. That was… odd. Rather than waste time analyzing it, she focused upon her surroundings with renewed interest. Ahead she could see the broken remains of a house… no, as she drew closer, she saw that it had once been a bridge, house-like in its shape.

_It's called a covered bridge. New England is riddled with them._

Sapphire smiled at the voice in her head. _Steel! You are back._

_I am_. Suddenly he was at her side, a slight smile on his lips. _It's good to see you._

"And you as well." Sapphire gave him a quick hug. No one else would be so impulsive or even allowed. Steel had very strict rules about such things. Thankfully they didn't apply to her. Indeed, Steel even hugged back. Sapphire wanted to ask where he'd been and all about his solo mission, but she knew better. At first, Sapphire had asked, even demanded that he share with her. Now she knew better. However, there was still **one** question she could ask him.

"Steel, how it is that you are familiar with that structure?" She released him and returned her attention to the bridge, if you could indeed call it that. The river beneath it was long gone and only a weed-riddled gash in the ground remained.

"It's a very long and not exceedingly interesting story that involved Silver, Jet, myself and one of those."

"Now I'm intrigued."

"Let's just say Sleepy Hollow isn't all it's cracked up to be." He smiled at her and they resumed walking. She shivered again and he took off his jacket to drape it over her slender shoulders. Sapphire looked surprised, but pulled the jacket closer, smiling as the fabric and the lingering presence of her partner enveloped her.

"Why are we here?"

"Well, technically, we are not here. You are here. I am merely… observing."

Sapphire frowned at this. "I don't…" She trailed off at the sight of a young woman, a girl really, walking in front of them. She seemed to be humming and totally focused upon something in front of her. "Where did she come from? I didn't see her earlier." Sapphire picked up her pace, but the girl seemed to stay that much more in front of her. What?"

A wave of cold and nausea washed over Sapphire and she staggered back a step, directly into Steel who caught and support her.

The young girl spun, screamed and vanished.

For a moment, Sapphire just stared and concentrated upon her breathing. "Steel?" She turned to ask him and that's when the same young woman passed by them, her step hurried.

Steel pulled her to the side of the overgrown path as they watched the scene play out again and again.

"A time loop?" Sapphire finally found her voice when it became apparent the show was over for the night.

"There is a tear in time here and this scene plays out three times a night. It's like a skip in a record." He gestured ahead. "There had once been a thriving village here, but it was driven from this spot by this anomaly. That's why you are here."

"I don't understand."

"You're clever with time. Your assignment is to unravel this mystery."

"To save the town?"

"To save that young woman." Steel took a few steps closer to the bridge. "She seemed so focused upon the bridge."

Sapphire closed her eyes, concentrating. "No, not the bridge. Something on the other side. Her home, perhaps?"

"I don't know." Steel stared into the depths of the wooden structure and shook his head. "Around, I think, would be a better choice. He blazed a path down the crumbling edge of the river bed, holding Sapphire's hand to steady her. "How females can manage in that footwear is beyond me. They don't seem practical."

"It's not about practicality, Steel. It's about fashion. And they are comfortable. You should try them…" She trailed off at Steel's glare. She laughed. "Or perhaps not."

They managed the river bed and up the other side. "There is a structure." Steel pointed to the remains of a wall and Sapphire waded carefully through the thick weeds and crumbling remains. She reached out, laid a delicate hand over and exposed timber and closed her eyes.

"Not her house," she said. "Rather this was a place of worship, a church. She was hurrying to a church."

"For sanctuary?" Steel squinted over his shoulder at the tree line. "Perhaps she was afraid of animals attacking her?"

"I don't believe so." Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "There is great sorrow here… and great anger. Many blamed her for the collapse of their society."

"She was obviously killed. How can they blame her for that?" Steel hefted aside a pew to approach what must have been the altar. "They seem eager to cast blame."

"They were very scared. Many had been born here to generations before. Perhaps rather they blame her inability to move on."

"If she is caught in a time loop, then it's not of her doing. It's our job to set Time right again."

"Our job?" Sapphire smiled.

"Your job." Steel picked up a piece of colored glass and looked at the setting sun through it. It stained his face a dull blue. "I'm just here for the ride."

Sapphire sobered. "I've never taken the lead on an assignment."

"Then it's time you did. Besides, time is your specialty."

"Among other things, yes."

"Then mend it. Go back and fix this."

"Go back? I… I can't. I… just a few minutes."

"Have you tried? Really tried?" Steel tossed the glass, uncaring as it shattered against a rock. "Can't or haven't?"

"Well, I…"

"Sapphire, it is your job to close the time loop."

"I'm not strong enough."

"They think you are." He turned to face her. "So do I, but you're afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"I don't know. Of trying and failing? Of failing to try at all?" He shook his head. "You want to do this job, Sapphire, then you better be prepared to move outside your comfort zone. There is nothing safe or pretty about what we do. Compassion and caring is not a luxury we have. We are here to fight a war."

"I don't see it that way,"

"Then you'd better start." He crossed his arms. "They are getting tired of waiting and frankly so I am."

_How dare you!_ The words shot through Sapphire's mind even as she started unraveling the tenuous strands of the Time vortex. It wasn't exactly hard as much as it was almost debilitatingly exhausting. She fell to the grass with a sigh and took a deep breath.

Opening her eyes, she watched the young girl approach her, humming absentmindedly. Sapphire frowned. The music seemed familiar to her and yet not.

Sapphire stood. "Hello." The girl ignored her and walked past. Ignored or not yet able to hear her.

_As I was saying..._

_Shut up, Steel_. Her thoughts snapped at him and she plunged back into the vortex, pushing and muscling her way through blocks of events, moments, seconds, days, years, they all blurred until.

She opened her eyes and stepped into a twilight kissed meadow. The young girl was walking up the path. Sapphire quickly walked up behind her and said, "Hello?"

The girl spun and screamed. Without a conscious decision, Sapphire turned and gasped. A man was riding, hell bent up the path towards them. He was leaning low over the neck of a horse that had a wild look to it and was frothing from the mouth. Sapphire wasn't sure the man wasn't doing the same.

Suddenly they were both snatched from the path of the man and beast. The animal's speed was such that it raced by several long strides before the rider was even aware that the women were safe.

With a cry, he turned to face them.

"You'll have to get through me first." Steel stood protectively before them.

"Where were you going?" Sapphire murmured to the woman.

"The church."

_Steel?_

_Run!_

Sapphire grabbed the young woman's hand and took off like a shot. She could hear noise behind her, but she didn't stop or even try to look over her shoulder. She twisted her ankle and nearly fell, but caught herself at the last minute.

The rough uneven ground of the dirt road gave way to the smooth wood of the bridge and then they popped out the other side and into a bustling town. Sapphire turned to say something, anything to the girl, but she stood alone in the road.

A soft toot of a horn sent her hobbling to the safety of the sidewalk. Glancing over her shoulder, she gasped, then smiled at the lovely little church, painted white and lovingly cared for.

"It's how it was meant to be." Sapphire turned at Steel's comment. He was wearing a different outfit, but she didn't know if it was due to a whim or necessity.

"You are all right?"

"Yes, there were moments, but metal, all metal is kin."

"The sword?"

"The horseshoes." He knelt to take her foot. "Is your ankle badly hurt?"

"Not really. Steel, what is all this?"

"This was how the town was to have progressed before Time found a way in and trapped the young woman in a loop."

"That rider?"

"A devil of a highway man from another era, brought in to terrify his victim."

"But how?"

"It was the tune she was humming." Steel offered her his elbow. "It was the _Tartini Sonata for Violin_, ironically nicknamed _The Devil's Trill_."

She took his arm and they walked along. "What do we do? Destroy the music?"

"No, I think Time will know better than to use it again as an entrance in." He stopped in front of a store and he nodded to the door. "Instead, I think it's time to properly assess your footwear."

And together they walked into the shoe store while behind them, a little village went about its everyday life.


End file.
